diff --git a/hyracks/hyracks-storage-am-lsm-common/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/lsm/common/api/ILSMIndexInternal.java b/hyracks/hyracks-storage-am-lsm-common/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/lsm/common/api/ILSMIndexInternal.java
index b8f590f..bf82c31 100644
--- a/hyracks/hyracks-storage-am-lsm-common/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/lsm/common/api/ILSMIndexInternal.java
+++ b/hyracks/hyracks-storage-am-lsm-common/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/lsm/common/api/ILSMIndexInternal.java
@@ -64,4 +64,7 @@
     public void getOperationalComponents(ILSMIndexOperationContext ctx);
 
     public void markAsValid(ILSMComponent lsmComponent) throws HyracksDataException;
+    
+    public boolean isCurrentMutableComponentEmpty() throws HyracksDataException;
+
 }
diff --git a/hyracks/hyracks-storage-am-lsm-common/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/lsm/common/impls/AbstractLSMIndex.java b/hyracks/hyracks-storage-am-lsm-common/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/lsm/common/impls/AbstractLSMIndex.java
index e8014a7..ccc1d38 100644
--- a/hyracks/hyracks-storage-am-lsm-common/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/lsm/common/impls/AbstractLSMIndex.java
+++ b/hyracks/hyracks-storage-am-lsm-common/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/hyracks/storage/am/lsm/common/impls/AbstractLSMIndex.java
@@ -252,4 +252,10 @@
     public boolean hasMemoryComponents() {
         return true;
     }
+    
+    @Override
+    public boolean isCurrentMutableComponentEmpty() throws HyracksDataException {
+        //check if the current memory component has been modified
+        return !((AbstractMemoryLSMComponent) memoryComponents.get(currentMutableComponentId.get())).isModified();
+    }
 }